Wildflower Terrace Music Appreciation House Concerts

Once a month fine singer/songwriter and instrumentalists bring their music to the Wildflower Terrace Room for the edification of their residents and guests. Produced by resident Anne Wright and singer/songwriter Ky Hote, the concerts occur on the last Thursday of every month at 7:00 pm and include an open jam at the end of the concert.

Attendees are encouraged to bring their instruments, songs, poetry and share. Performers may bring CDs or other merchandise and there will be a hat passed for their benefit. The event is BYOB and if you'd like to bring a snack to share - that would be great too!

The music is a diverse mix of Austin talent from folk to jazz to tradional musics and wherever that musicians want to take us. Wildflower Terrace is a 201-unit community for active adults (55+) located at 3801 Berkman Drive, Austin, TX 78723, the Mueller nieighborhood.

The Schedule...

7/31Bill Oliver & Ky Hote
Bill Oliver combines environmental education with music. If the subjects he picks to write about weren't so serious, he would be one of the silliest performers on the circuit. A child of the Mississippi River, a Texan by choice, Bill has been writing songs and touring the country for 40+ years. Dubbed an "Environmental Troubadour" by Time Magazine, his song Habitat is sung all over in schools. He is still organizing river trips, performing with his Otter Space Band and producing the "Mother Earth Day at the Springs" and "Lady Bird Lake Fest" in Austin.
Ky Hote has been hosting the Wildflower Concerts and producing them with Anne Wright. His music is passionate, articulate and benevolent. Known as the "Most Dangerous Guitar Player," he is known to play as much as sing, but all the while telling stories of his travels and the people he has met along the way.

Concerts we've enjoyed already!

9/27/12 Ky Hote and Friends, Diana Prechter & Kent Cole: Wingnuts
Ky Hote and his partner Lauren Mahlerox as the duo Gypsy Rox. Guitar, fiddle and vocals present both Ky's original songs and traditional musics (celtic, gypsy and more). Fun and improvisational music, you may want to bring your dancing shoes for this! Ky Hote has been a singer/songwriter in the Austin area for over 30 years. Gypsy Rox will be featured at the 2012 Texas Renaissance Festival.
In the second half of the program, Diana Prechter & Kent Cole will include their musical adaptation of Emily Bronte's classic novel. "Wuthering Heights, The Entertainment" is a modern song-cycle featuring both folk and classical idioms and telling the complete story of Wuthering Heights in 25 minutes. Originally presented at Fronterfest, 2012, this original presentation beats the Cliff Notes version any day!

10/25 The Better Halves, Corrina Rachel
The Better Halves are a husband-wife musical duo who are funny and touching at the same time, packed full of clever rhymes and real-to-life guy-to-girl banter that inspires laughter and knowing nods from the audience. Vocal harmonies and tasty, fancy guitar work are an integral part of their show. Their songs tell stories of hotrods and boot-leggers, race car hall-of-famers, grandpa's yarns, internet dates gone wrong, devilish romances and quirky wedding vows. Their style encompasses overtones of country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and even classical music. Jimmy Joe Natoli, a guitar player of note as well as documention, and partner Chrissie Natoli tour across the country and also teach songwriting classes to children and Alzheimer groups. All they while they make their listeners smile!
Corrina Rachel's original and traditional jazz songs are enchanting. Her Dreamland Band has a taste for elegance and that classic vintage style. An Austin naitve, Corrina realized her love for jazz standards was going to stay with her all her life. Soon she was writing her own songs in this classic style and accompanying her sultry swinging voice is her ballsy rhythm guitar playing. Come dream along with Corrina...

12/20 (3rd Thursday, not last Thursday)An evening with David Halley(rescheduled from 11/27 due to illness) Rolling Stone said: (Halley is a...) "Texas institution... whose evocative lyricism and rootsy drive suggest Richard Thompson and The River-era Springsteen, caked in prairie dust.... his songs have been covered by Joe Ely and the late Keith Whitley."
The Austin American-Statesman called him "a master of resigned romanticism whose material deals with difficult emotions in remarkably fluid fashion. There’s something of the slow dazzle in his songwriting, a subtle understatement that never succumbs to cleverness for its own sake but expresses a depth of feeling that gives his songs resonance beyond their deceptive simplicity."
We're very please to present an intimate concert with Lubbock native David Halley in an intimate setting. Please join us!

1/31 Bill McNeal, Nancy Scott
Bill McNeal came to songwriting late in his life, having been a part of the Austin music scene as a supporter for many years. Early performances included Alice's Restaurant in Niederwald, TX and Luling's Watermelon Thump. His 2008 release, "One Track Mind" include stellar musicians Bob Livingston, Paul Pearcy and Glenn Fukunaga. His stories resonate with Texas natives and his dry wit is appreciated everywhere..
Nancy Scott has been performing her original songs for over 35 years in Texas and around the country. Her first album "Both Sides of Me"... “has a collection of tunes that many a popular, big name artist would give their eye teeth to own." (...Music City Texas, March 1992). Her next recording, "HeartPrints in Clay," released September 1995, was produced and co-arranged by Betty Elders and carefully put together by a culmination of talented Austin musicians. Her serious soulful voice and solid gutar playing bring a natural depth to her colorful songs.

2/21 (3rd Thursday, not last Thursday)Song Circle with Gretchen Lynn, Eva Barnett & Stephen Kearley and Him & Her
Him & Her is Brenda Freed on vocals and guitar, piano or mandolin and Michael D'Eath on harmonica and harmony vocals. Brenda’s voice is described as "beautiful as it seems to wrap itself around each note and make it her own," (...Graham Warwick, Hill Country Happenings). In 2001, Brenda formed Texas Hot Flash, winning an Austin Music Award in 2005 and releasing 3 albums. Michael was an adjunct member of the band and in 2006, Him & Her emerged from Texas Hot Flash as a separate duo. A tasty harmonica accompanist and soloist, Michael D’Eath (pronounced Dee-uth) grew up in England with a musical upbringing singing in boys choirs and studying classical piano. Couple D'Eath's harmonica playing with Freed's voice and you get a dynamic duo. Him & Her caress each note with their individual styles, creating a unique blend for the beautiful melodies of their jazzy, bluesy, folksy, original music and carefully chosen covers.
A song circle with Gretchen Lynn, Eva Barnett & Stephen Kearley promises to be inspiring, fun and harmonious! Gretchen is one of the founding members the Austin Family Jewels. Eva's songwriting is tied in with her role as a meditation teacher and her heartfelt songs are filled with spiritual courage and exploration. Stephen is a member of the Austin Family Jewels as well as the Kudzoo Brothers. His songs love late night campfires and open spaces. All singer/songwriters, Gretchen worked with Sara Hickman on a children's album. Come enjoy the spark between these three as they share the stage this evening.

3/28Norm Ballinger, The Paul Klemperer Trio
Coming to Austin via Ohio and HOuston, Norm Balinger first made his mark on the scene as guitar player for George Ensle at the Kerrville Folk Festival. His interest are varied and include poetry, dance, performance art, trash magic, carpentry and and strawbale construction. Fortunately for us, he has always pursued his music with his other worldy guitar playing and songwriting. His songs and instrumentals have appeared in plays and art openings as well as the concert stage. This year he released his third album, "A Fine Thread Of Hope."
Paul Klemperer has been playing saxophone for many years. In Boston he studied with jazz legends Archie Shepp & Max Roach and in Austin he worked with legendary Marcia Ball. An ethnomusicologist, he atually has three bands currently in Austin, PK Sax, The Klemperer Group, and Manteca Beat which covers international genres using jazz as his centerpiece. He loves Austin for its creative cross-pollination among musicians. He brings a trio to Wildflower of piano, bass, sax & vocals performing a mix of classic jazz, blues & originals.

4/25Jimbro Lutz
Jimbro Lutz writes songs as if they were in a short story collection. He writes from his own experiences as well as the human condition he sees around him. His fine lyrics are accompanied by his unique approach to guitar picking and melody. A fixture on the Austin music scene for many years, he has hosted Squaredances and other festivals on his land in Manor. He also hosts a youtube channel with live Texas music videos called The Texas Song (http://www.youtube.com/user/TheTexasSong?feature=g-subs-u)

5/16 (3rd Thursday, not last Thursday)The Flying A's
The Flyin’ A’s perform a powerful mix of original Americana, Country, Southern Blues, and “Texifide” Jazz. Stuart and Hilary, have been involved with the music industry in a big way since 2007. They are currently working on an album with Mary Chapin Carpenter's producer John Jennings.
But all of this is just a scorecard compared the outright fun and excitement that they generate with their powerhouse blend of blues, rock and gospel thrown in just for the heck of it... CBS News called them "A musical duo that is so hot right now, cool your jets..."
With songwriting/performing experience out of Nashville as well as the Kerrville Folk Festival, harmonic vocals, guitars, mandolins and piano, The Flying A's rock the house!

6/27The Peterson Brothers
An up and coming Austin Blues band in the style of Muddy Waters, Jimi Hendrix and Big Mama Thorton - performing an acoustic set for Wildflower!

7/25Fletcher Clark, Peter Myers
Peter Myers will be Wildflower's first out-of-Texas artist. Hailing from the northeast, He was just awarded "Top Fok Act" at the New Jersey Acoustic Music Awards! Myers has been a staff songwriter CBS Music, MCA Universal Songs, Warner Chappell and his songs have been recorded and performed throughout the US and Europe by popular artists. His songs are filed with stories, melody and finger picking. We are very excited to welcome him to the Wildflower Mueller community.
Fletcher Clark's songwriting is influenced by the many Texas singer-songwriters he has worked with such as Steven Fromholz, Bobby Bridger, Rusty Wier, Gary P. Nunn, and Kenneth Threadgil. His works reflect his love of many genres. Jazz, Broadway, Tin Pan Aley, blues, bluegrass, and latin all find a place in his songs. A skilled vocalist and guitarist, he produces a concert series in Lockhart, TX called "Evenings With The Songwriters" at the historic Dr. Eugene Clark Library.

Tommy Byrd and Kathy Street have been likened to "Lyle Lovett meets Alison Krause" and their harmonies are "tight like the Everly Brothers," Kathy's sweet pure voice being a perfect contrast to Tommy's earthy soulful sound. They have been honored by the Texas Music Awards, the Kerrville New Folk contests and Paul Stookey (of Peter, Paul and Mary) recorded their song, Let Me Be Your Friend.
Rose Kimball and Judy Painter are musical storytellers. Through their original songs and a variety of obscure covers, they take their listeners with them through emotions of love, joy, & heartbreak and real life tales of triumph, loss and just plain fun. Their harmonies and sharing of songs both vocally and instrumentally keep listeners on their toes and wanting more. Featuring guitar, bass and vocals they play music of the folk, bluegrass, old time genres as well as originals. Painter's "Ghost of Billy Grey" placed 2nd in the 2009 Woody Guthrie International Songwriting contest.

9/26 Our one year anniversary! Ky Hote and Friends, The Nick Connolly Trio
Ky Hote, with Steve Wood on bass, will be opening up the show, just as he opened up the first Wildflower Music Appreciation concert in 2012. You may also know him as the intrepid host and co-producer of the concerts. Also known to take part in the post concert jams, he has invited all of the year’s participants to take part in his set and many of them may show up! Accompanying him on bass will Steve Wood, who was also part of the first show!
The anniversary party will culminate with Wildflower favorite piano player Nick Connolly bringing Larry Eisenberg (upright bass) and Artie Kidd (drums) to the party. Nick came as part of the Paul Klemperer trio in March and vowed to return with his own band! It will come as no surprise that he has worked with many blues and country greats including Delbert McClinton, the Fabulous Thunderbirds and Lee Roy Parnell.

10/24 Purly Gates, Laura Freeman and Luna Tart
Purly Gates is an uniquely energetic and creative singer who accompanies herself with
guitar, banjo, accordion, ukelele, harmonica, and umpteen odd or
home-made instruments.Her musical styles range from mostly folk and
swing, to country, a touch of blues, bluegrass or even an occasional rap.
And she may do a little story-telling between songs, if the time is right......
Laura Freeman is a singer/songwriter/actress who has performed all over the country. Here in Austin she also does kids shows as the leader of the Hey Lollies. In addition, she has an alter identity she allows out now and then named Luna Tart. A cabaret style chanteuse, songwriter, ukelele and baritone player, she is an artiste extraordinaire, a lush, and dissolution personified. You won't want to miss her debut performance at Wildflower!

11/21 Butch Morgan, Mary Melena
Butch Morgan is a triple threat on the Texas music scene; he is a songwriter, storyteller, and guitarist who is constantly pushing his limits as a performer. He is an integral part of the Kerrille Folk Festival, appearing as performer and sideman often as well as promoting the Texas Folk Music Foundation. He is a guaranteed entertainer!
Mary Melena has a voice like an angel matched with soulful sensuous a finger picking guitar style. Her playing borrows from classical traditions, celtic tunes and of course the Texas songwriting tradition. Mary does not "gig" out often, so don't miss this chance to hear music.

12/19The Worthy Waites of Whimsey, Ben Livingston
The Worthy Waites of Whimsey brings the wonderful, rich, and varied ensemble repertoire of the Medieval and Renaissance periods to life before your very ears. Founders Jan Jackson and Wesley Norton performed together in Passing Measures, enjoying a long run at the Texas Renaissance Faire. The new group also features Gerry Priest, Tim Masters, and Jennifer van Gorkhom. Their period instruments include Bass Recorder, Viola da Gamba, Krumhorn and others. Their love of the music and playfulness comes through with an authentic rendering of “Early Music.”
Ben Livingston is a south Texas native, National Endowment for the Arts Fellow and alien shapeshifter. His music personifies sheer joy. “He fits right in the row of specific Texas artists as Terry Allen, Butch Hancock, Joe Ely and the Legendary Stardust Cowboy. That means intellectual, opinionated, progressive, looking across borders and at times wacky.” ... John Gjaltema

1/30/14Nick Connolly, Lynette Perkins & Will Gullatt
Wildflower House Concerts presents a rare solo performance of Nick Connolly on piano and vocals. Nick has charmed Wildflower audiences before with jazz trios, his barrelhouse piano piano and bluesy rockin' voice.
Opening the show is Lynette Perkins and Will Gullatt, co-conspirators in the Austin music scene for many year, their original songs fill in the grooves with percussion, fine guitar picking and solid harmony vocals.

2/27/14Bernice Lewis, Two Bits (Norm Ballinger, Gretchen Lynn)
Gretchen Lynn and Norm Ballinger combine their talents to make up Two Bits. Harmonies, fine guitar work, bass and truly original songs shine in this duo. Gretchen is one of the founding members the Austin Family Jewels and worked with Sara Hickman on a children's album. Norm Balinger first made his mark on the scene as guitar player for George Ensle at the Kerrville Folk Festival. His songs and instrumentals have appeared in plays and art openings as well as the concert stage. He just released his third album, "A Fine Thread Of Hope."
Bernice Lewis, from Massachusetts, is not stranger to Texas. She was a finalist in the Kerrville Folk Festival New Folk songwriting contest and a regular at the prestigious Camp Cuisine. She also appeared on NPR's Mountain Stage and at the Kennedy Center. One of her songs was featured in a PBS Peter, Paul and Mary television special. Her songs are a delight and her stories are multi-generational and historical.

3/27/14Him & Her, Fletcher Clark
Him & Her is Brenda Freed on vocals and guitar, piano or mandolin and Michael D'Eath on harmonica and harmony vocals. Brenda’s voice is described as "beautiful as it seems to wrap itself around each note and make it her own," (...Graham Warwick, Hill Country Happenings). In 2001, Brenda formed Texas Hot Flash, winning an Austin Music Award in 2005 and releasing 3 albums. Michael was an adjunct member of the band and in 2006, Him & Her emerged from Texas Hot Flash as a separate duo. A tasty harmonica accompanist and soloist, Michael D’Eath (pronounced Dee-uth) grew up in England with a musical upbringing singing in boys choirs and studying classical piano. Couple D'Eath's harmonica playing with Freed's voice and you get a dynamic duo. Him & Her caress each note with their individual styles, creating a unique blend for the beautiful melodies of their jazzy, bluesy, folksy, original music and carefully chosen covers.

Fletcher Clark's songwriting is influenced by the many Texas singer-songwriters he has worked with such as Steven Fromholz, Bobby Bridger, Rusty Wier, Gary P. Nunn, and Kenneth Threadgil. His works reflect his love of many genres. Jazz, Broadway, Tin Pan Aley, blues, bluegrass, and latin all find a place in his songs. A skilled vocalist and guitarist, he produces a concert series in Lockhart, TX called "Evenings With The Songwriters" at the historic Dr. Eugene Clark Library.

4/24/14The Better Halves, Bill McNeal
The Better Halves are a husband-wife musical duo who are funny and touching at the same time, packed full of clever rhymes and real-to-life guy-to-girl banter that inspires laughter and knowing nods from the audience. Vocal harmonies and tasty, fancy guitar work are an integral part of their show. Their songs tell stories of hotrods and boot-leggers, race car hall-of-famers, grandpa's yarns, internet dates gone wrong, devilish romances and quirky wedding vows. Their style encompasses overtones of country, bluegrass, folk, jazz, and even classical music. Jimmy Joe Natoli, a guitar player of note as well as documention, and partner Chrissie Natoli tour across the country and also teach songwriting classes to children and Alzheimer groups. All they while they make their listeners smile!
Bill McNeal came to songwriting late in his life, having been a part of the Austin music scene as a supporter for many years. Early performances included Alice's Restaurant in Niederwald, TX and Luling's Watermelon Thump. His 2008 release, "One Track Mind" include stellar musicians Bob Livingston, Paul Pearcy and Glenn Fukunaga. His stories resonate with Texas natives and his dry wit is appreciated everywhere..

5/15/14Brian Cutean (QTN), Purly Gates
Purly Gates is an uniquely energetic and creative singer who accompanies herself with guitar, banjo, accordion, ukelele, harmonica, and umpteen odd or home-made instruments.Her musical styles range from mostly folk and swing, to country, a touch of blues, bluegrass or even an occasional rap. And she may do a little story-telling between songs, if the time is right......
Brian Cutean's award-winning songs and antics have been honoured with recognition repeatedly by the internationally acclaimed Kerrville Folk Festival's "New Folk Concerts" three times where he is known as the keeper of the Crow's Nest. He released his first recording in 1988 and has kept up an active recording and touring career ever since. His last release was a collection of his instrumental tunes. Portland's weekly paper, Willamette Week wrote: "Wandering minstrel Cutean is a nimble guitarist and an appealing singer whose jaunty folk songs and contemplative ballads are filled with personal reflection, social commentary and pure whimsy..."

6/26/14Butch Morgan, Corrina Rachel
Butch Morgan is a triple threat on the Texas music scene; he is a songwriter, storyteller, and guitarist who is constantly pushing his limits as a performer. He is an integral part of the Kerrille Folk Festival, appearing as performer and sideman often as well as promoting the Texas Folk Music Foundation. He is a guaranteed entertainer!
Corrina Rachel's original and traditional jazz songs are enchanting. Her Dreamland Band has a taste for elegance and that classic vintage style. An Austin naitve, Corrina realized her love for jazz standards was going to stay with her all her life. Soon she was writing her own songs in this classic style and accompanying her sultry swinging voice is her ballsy rhythm guitar playing. Come dream along with Corrina...